The Best Labor Day Weekend Events in Los Angeles

August 30, 2018

By Discover Los Angeles | August 27, 2018

Celebrated on the first Monday in September, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. In Los Angeles, the three-day holiday weekend is packed with great events across the city. From concerts to festivals, parties and college football, read on for our guide to the best events happening in L.A. on Labor Day Weekend.

LA FLEET WEEK – PORT OF LOS ANGELES (AUG. 31 – SEPT. 3, 2018)

Now in its third year, LA Fleet Week® is a multi-day celebration of our nation’s Sea Services held on the LA Waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles over Labor Day Weekend. Free to the public, the event features public ship tours, military displays and equipment demonstrations, live entertainment, a kids’ STEM Expo, aircraft flyovers, a 100 Years of Navy in Hollywood Film Festival, the 10th Annual Conquer the Bridge, LA Fleet Week 5 on 5 Basketball Tournament, and a Galley Wars culinary competition between Sailor, Marine & Coast Guard teams.

DODGERS VS. DIAMONDBACKS + DODGERS VS. METS (AUG. 30-SEPT. 3, 2018)

The Dodgers host division rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game stand Thursday to Saturday, Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. Highlights include a Sand Globe promo on Thursday, Friday Night Fireworks, and a Silent Auction on Saturday. On Labor Day, the Dodgers take on the Mets, featuring a Coca-Cola Cooler Bag promo.

THE MUSIC CENTER’S DANCE DTLA – GRAND PARK (AUG. 31, 2018)

A summer favorite now in its 14th year, The Music Center’s Dance DTLA is an evening of dance under the stars on most Friday nights. Hosted entirely at Grand Park, the series features Dance Downtown every other Friday night, where participants can learn new dance moves from a different dance genre at each event. Held on alternating Friday nights from 9pm to midnight, DJ Nights are curated by influential artists and tastemakers who give voice to L.A.’s dynamic and vibrant culture through music, dancing, arts and aesthetics. Curated by Nosaj Thing, this year’s final DJ Nights invites you to dance the night away on Friday, Aug. 31.

Labor Day Weekend is your last chance to experience Jurassic Park® – The Ride before it goes extinct on Monday, Sept. 3! The ride is making way for an all-new Jurassic World attraction that’s opening at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2019. Originally opened in June 1996, the thrilling river raft adventure is based on Jurassic Park, the blockbuster 1993 Steven Spielberg movie and 1990 novel by Michael Crichton. After encountering dinosaurs in their natural habitat, guests escape a life-sized T-rex when their raft plunges to safety – at the time, the 84-foot drop was the largest theme park water descent ever built.

Continuing a beloved L.A. concert tradition, Academy Award-winning composer John Williams returns to the Hollywood Bowlto celebrate the 40th anniversary of his Bowl debut and conduct many of his greatest moments of cinematic music magic. A selection of clips will be shown on the big screen.

“CARMEN” – FORD THEATRES (SEPT. 1, 2018)

Founded in July 2011, Pacific Opera Project (POP) brings accessible, affordable and entertaining opera to audiences across Los Angeles. On Saturday, Sept. 1, POP will present a fully staged outdoor production of Georges Bizet’s operatic masterpiece, Carmen at Ford Theatres. Sung in French with English supertitles.

For more than half a century, cinephiles have gathered over Labor Day Weekend to celebrate the movies at the annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival. Taking place Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 30 – Sept. 3, Cinecon 54 welcomes archivists, authors, collectors and film fans to enjoy five days of classic film screenings, special programs, celebrity guests, and the famed movie memorabilia show. Cinecon is dedicated to showcasing unusual films that are rarely given public screenings.

The host hotel for Cinecon 54 is the Loews Hollywood Hotel, located on Highland Avenue just a five-minute walk from the Egyptian. Cinecon’s famous Memorabilia Show, one of the best movie memorabilia markets in the country, will take place at the hotel’s mezzanine level along with book signings and the registration table. Dealers from across the country and around the world will sell original items that span the history of film, from silent era classics through today’s hottest blockbusters.

Crosstown rivals, USC and UCLA will kick off the 2018 college football season with inter-conference home openers on Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. The Trojans take on the UNLV Rebels at L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Bruins face the Cincinnati Bearcats at Rose Bowl Stadium. USC-UNLV is scheduled to start at 1pm Pacific and UCLA-Cincinnati at 4pm.

626 NIGHT MARKET – SANTA ANITA PARK (AUG. 31 – SEPT. 2, 2018)

Dubbed the largest Asian inspired night market in the U.S., 626 Night Market features more than 250 food, merchandise, crafts, arts, games, music, and entertainment attractions that welcomes over 80,000 attendees per event. The final 626 Night Market of 2018 is taking place at Santa Anita Park on Aug. 31 – Sept. 2. Hours are 4pm – 1am. Admission is $5 at the door, cash only. Children 3 and under are free. Note that most vendors are cash only.

L.A. COUNTY FAIR (OPENS AUG. 31, 2018)

Opening on Aug. 31, the L.A. County Fair is hitting the Mother Road with this year’s theme: “Get Your Kicks,” named in honor of the famed Route 66. The historic “Main Street of America” connected Chicago to L.A. and right to the gates of the L.A. County Fair, which is uniquely situated just off Route 66 in San Bernardino. The Get Your Kicks on Route 66 attraction replicates iconic sites from the 2,448-mile trek, featuring famous landmarks like the world’s largest rocking chair, the Cadillac Ranch, and the Wigwam Motel. At a recreation of the historic Mt. Baldy Drive-In, guests can enjoy a vintage movie while snacking on popcorn and old-fashioned candy. The mini road trip ends at a replica of the Santa Monica Pier, complete with seaside snack shacks and aerial entertainment. The Route 66 value menu will feature $6.60 meals and classic Fair/Route 66 food items at each concession stand. Perennial Fair favorites include the carnival, the End of Summer Concert Series, farm animals, food, shopping and more. All attractions, except for the Carnival and reserved seats to concerts, are included with the price of admission. For tickets and concert schedule, visit lacountyfair.com.

MADE IN LA – GOLDEN ROAD BREWING (SEPT. 1-2, 2018)

Now in its second year, Made in LA is a Labor Day Weekend festival that celebrates the best of Los Angeles arts and culture. Taking place Sept. 1-2 at Golden Road Brewing in Atwater Village, Made in LA features headliners Saint Motel along with performances by Dorothy, Andre Power, DâM-FunK, J Rocc, DUCKWRTH and more. The festival also features food trucks, art installations and vendors, and of course, plenty of Golden Road beer. Proceeds benefit ArtShareLA, a DTLA nonprofit organization that helps artists – especially emerging talent – to access the resources they need. Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite. Doors at 5pm each day, 21 and over.

FIESTA HERMOSA (SEPT. 1-3, 2018)

Fiesta Hermosa takes place Saturday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day of Labor Day weekend. The annual festival is located in Downtown Hermosa Beach on Pier Plaza, Hermosa Avenue and lower Pier Avenue. Described as the ”largest arts & crafts fair in Southern California,” more than 300 artists and crafters are featured, including painters, photographers, ceramicists, jewelers, sculptors, and handcrafters. There are two stages of live music: the Main Stage features top tribute bands, while the Charity Beer & Wine Garden showcases alternative, reggae, classic rock, 80s and 90s music. Enjoy acoustic music in front of the Java Man Coffee House. The Food Court offers 18 different kinds of global food options, from roasted corn to Thai, Greek, Mexican, tri-tip sandwiches and barbecued sausages. The Kiddie Carnival features a 30-foot slide, mechanical rides, rock climbing, bungee jump, and games for kids from 3 to 10 years old. Pony rides, a petting zoo, and face painters are sure to delight the little ones.